G20 summit closes in South Africa after U.S. absence

The G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa was the first held on the African continent and marked an unusual U.S. boycott.

The Trump administration skipped the event after making claims about land confiscations and killings in South Africa and objecting to the summit’s diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda.

The summit also broke tradition by issuing a declaration at the start rather than the end and lacking a ceremonial handover between outgoing and incoming chairs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the summit with a gavel but did not hand it over to the U.S., rejecting Washington’s request to pass it to a junior official, NPR has reported.

The handover is now scheduled for Monday between South African and U.S. officials of equivalent rank.